Lottery news from http://www.mercurynews.com/
Here's a tip from law enforcement and the California State Lottery: If you win $10,000 on a scratcher, don't yelp with glee outside a 7-Eleven.
That's what one San Jose man did Saturday, likely tipping off a would-be robber, who followed the man into the store as he excitedly went to claim his prize. Shoves ensued.
But instead of getting the ticket, the robber walked out with a torn lottery winner redemption form, essentially a useless piece of paper.
And now San Jose police are searching for him. His prize could be a robbery charge and jailtime, police say.
The winner, with his ticket in hand, can still claim his cash.
The excitement occurred Saturday about 7:10 p.m., police say, at the 7-Eleven on Story Road and McLaughlin Avenue. Police didn't say which Scratcher game caused the ruckus.
Police do know that the want-to-be thousandaire drove away in a red Pontiac Fiero, according to spokeswoman Gina Tepoorten.
Scratchers are popular at the 7-Eleven, where on Monday a stack of 12 losing tickets sat in the ash tray on top of a trash can.
Millions play. Some win a few dollars here, a few dollars there. It's rare to find a $10,000 winner. And such crimes are also rare, California Lottery officials said.
And, there are ways to protect yourself, spokeswoman Cathy Doyle Johnston said.
Lotto players should sign the back of all their tickets, she said. The slightest change to that signature on a winning ticket puts an investigation in motion.
The best advice, she said, is to treat your lotto ticket like the cash it could be worth. When you go to cash it in, use the same precautions you would at the ATM.
``Be aware of your surroundings,'' Doyle Johnston said, ``know who is around you.''
To Lashonda Banks -- who stopped at 7-Eleven for some Slurpees with her 4 1/2-year-old son Lamarea -- trying to steal someone else's winnings is just plain cold-hearted.
``Come on now,'' she said she'd say to the thief. ``It's not your turn.''
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